Pakistan Players Not to Play in IPL 2009 Season

Pakistan today barred its cricketers from playing in the high-profile Indian Premier League, a decision which is bound to further strain the sporting ties between the two countries.

Saleem Altaf, the chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board said they had received copy of a letter from the foreign affairs ministry sent to the sports ministry, which declined permission to the players to travel to India for the Twenty20 tournament.

“All players who are already signed up with the IPL teams or those, who were due to take part in the players auction, have been declined permission,” Altaf said.

While around a dozen players are already signed up with different franchises, five other cricketers were due to be auctioned in Goa on February 5.

Altaf said the sports ministry had said they had no objection to the cricketers going to India. “But when the sports ministry sought advice from the foreign affairs ministry, they said it would not be possible to allow players to travel to India for the IPL,” he added.

A player signed up with a franchise said the teams had already started releasing the Pakistani players well before the letter was sent to the sports ministry for permission. “I don’t think conditions are such we can go and play there,” he said. Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Hafeez and Asim Kamal were the five new players included for the latest IPL players auction.

IPL moolah tempts, snub hurts Monty

London: His Indian origin and cult status would certainly add sheen to the Indian Premier League but England's left-arm spinner Monty Panesar rues he does not have any offer on the table from any of the IPL franchises.

In his column for Daily Mail, Panesar admits the amount of money floating around is mind-boggling but says, almost lamenting, he is yet to be approached to be part of the IPL razzmatazz.

"Everyone is talking about all the money flying around cricket at the moment, but I haven't heard from any of the Indian Premier League teams. I certainly haven't got any offers on the table," said the spinner.

"You can't help but think about these things from time to time but I guess, for me, it's not meant to be," Panesar said.

"As for the Stanford match in Antigua, I'll just have to wait and see what the selectors decide to do. One day, if I do end up earning millions of pounds from cricket, maybe I could buy Luton Town FC and make myself chairman. I could be the first Sikh chairman. That would be fantastic," he said.

On Twenty20, Panesar said he enjoyed the format playing for Northamptonshire but still found it "a bit hit-and-miss".

"It is a constant battle to outwit the batsman - a guessing game really. I might bowl really full, then try a couple of slower balls, then a much quicker one, then drop it short. I try everything to stay one step ahead, but I still think it's a batsman's game," he said.

Panesar reckons he would be under pressure to deliver the goods in the Test series against South Africa, especially because of the visitors' poor track record against quality spin, but the first Sikh to play for England warns people should not expects miracles from him.

"There seems to be a belief that South Africa's batsmen are good players of pace bowling but might be vulnerable against spin. To me, that is a myth. I'm not entirely sure how good they are at playing spin, but what I do know is that they are a world class side who have gone up to No 2 in the Test rankings.

"So there's really no point me getting too carried away, thinking I can cause them lots of trouble. For all I know, they could play me as well as they play any of our fast bowlers," Panesar said, as if to reduce the burden of expectation.

"Anyway, I have to keep reminding people that I am no magician. I am not a Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan; I'm just an orthodox spinner. There's nothing more to it than that, so please don't expect any magic from me!"

"People are saying I could have a key role in this series but, as usual, I'm trying not to put any extra pressure on myself," Panesar said.

Dravid frustrated after another defeat

Rahul Dravid is satisfied with his own batting but seeing his side plunging to yet another defeat makes him "frustrated".

"I am satisfied with my batting. I am playing well but things have not been good for us. I am frustrated a bit because nothing has been working out despite having very good players in our ranks," Dravid told reporters after his team's 65-run loss against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Saturday, 17 may, 2008.

IPL giving Shah Rukh 'sleepless nights

Four days before the start of the Indian Premier League -- the latest initiative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India -- and the negatives are piling up. In an extensive interview to the Kolkata-based Anand Bazaar Patrika, Shah Rukh Khan , who owns the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, said he is "quite disappointed" at the poor audience response. "The first day, when I heard this, I was really surprised that only 237 tickets had been sold at the counter," Khan told the Kolkata paper. "I am truly finding it difficult to accept this. I have never, till date, requested my fans to go and see my films. Never ever done it. I am a bit surprised as to why, despite keeping the ticket prices low, people are not showing any interest." Khan said he is "very tired" by the IPL experience. "I never thought so many problems would crop up when I bought the Knight Riders. I was not prepared for these circumstances.

A rosy picture, removed from reality, was painted to me," he said. One element in that rosy picture was that the franchise owners would be allowed to stage various forms of entertainment at the venues, in order to woo the fans. Apparently even that has run into trouble -- apparently the Kolkata government, unlike governments of states hosting other franchises -- has refused to provide tax exemption.